Improvement in piano-fortes



UNITED STATES LORENZO MATT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

PATENT OEETCE.

IMPROVEMENT IN PIANO-FORTES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,664, dated August 25, 1863.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, LORENZO MATT, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Boston, in the county ot Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Iinprovem ent in Piano-Fortes; and I do hereby declare the saine to be fully described in the following specification, and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l is a top view, and Fig. 2 a vertical and longitudinal section, of a piano provided with my invention Fig. 3 is a horizontal and longitudinal section taken through the sounding board.

The nature of my improvement consists in insulating the sounding-board from the case, except at one end ofthe said boa-rd, and supporting the insulated part on springs. By

.this improvement a better quality of tone and a more perfect vibration ofthe sounding-board are the results.

In the drawings, A denotes the case, B the sounding-board, O the vibrating string-frame, and D the bridge, of a common piano. The metallic frame O is fastened firmly to the case, and has the strings a a a a extending across the bridge D in the usual manner, except that in stead ofthe top surface of the bridge being arranged in the same plane with the hitchpin plate b, I prefer to raise it somewhat above the same, in order that the longitudinal strain on the strings may produce a downward pressure on the bridge D, such as will serve to maintain the sounding-board in close contact with its supporting-springs. The said soundin g-board is fastened at or near one end, c, to the case A, the two sides and the other end of the said sounding-board having a narrow space, d, between them and the case. This space serves to insulate them from the ease, and enables the sounding-board to vibrate freely at one end, the other being tixed in position. At or near its free end the soundingboard is supported by sundry springs E E E, which project upward from and rest on the bottom board or trame, e, of the case A.

I am aware that it is not new to support the iron string-frame on the bottom frame or case and insulate the inner traine from the sounding-board and those parts of the case which extend above the bottom frame, therefore I do not claim such, my invention or improvement (littering materially therefrom, as with my invention the iron frame is afxed directly to the sides and ends of the case, and is not insulated therefrom, the sounding-board being partially insulated from the case.

I therefore claim as my invention or improvement- In the piano-forte, a sounding-board partially insulated from the case and supported by one or more springs, arranged under its free end, the whole being substantiallyas hereinbefore specified.

LORENZO MATT.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, F. P. HALE, Jr. 

